Everything Nac

The Choral Union and Women’s Choir at Stephen F. Austin State University will present “Voice of the Children,” featuring the Hudson Middle School Choir, at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 25, in Cole Concert Hall on the SFA campus.

Highlights of the program will be performances of John Rutter’s “Mass of the Children,” featuring the Stone Fort Wind Quintet, and Benjamin Britten’s “Ceremony of Carols,” featuring SFA harpist Emily Mitchell. The program title was chosen because of these two compositions, according to Dr. Tod Fish, associate professor of voice and the choirs’ director.

Text for “A Ceremony of Carols” is taken from a collection of medieval poems that portray the birth of the infant Christ as a warrior against Satan and sin. Fish describes the work as “one of the monumental works of the treble choir repertoire and arguably the most popular work within the genre.”

“Britten throughout his life was seeking to regain his child-like innocence that disappears with adulthood,” Fish said. “The Middle English poetry portrays the Christ Child as an infant warrior against the evils of sin.”

“Mass of the Children” is Rutter’s only major work written since 2001, which was the year he lost his son in an automobile accident, Fish explained. The work is for adult choir, children’s choir and chamber ensemble, and the performing forces for this will be the Choral Union, Hudson Middle School Choir, directed by Mary Turner, and an SFA instrumental faculty chamber ensemble.

“This work also depicts child-like innocence with its lovely, simple melodies and employment of a children’s choir in each movement,” Fish said. “Rutter supplements the Mass with popular English poetry, sung by children’s choir, to exude both youthful exuberance and naiveté.

“We are thrilled to have the Hudson Middle School Choir joining us for this concert,” Fish said. “It has been a dream of mine to feature a local choir for some time now. I hope it is something we can continue for the future.”

The concert is a presentation of the SFA College of Fine Arts and School of Music. Tickets are $8 for adults, $6 for seniors and $3 for students and youth. For tickets or more information, call the SFA Fine Arts Box Office at (936) 468-6407 or visit www.finearts.sfasu.edu.

Bryan Morales, sophomore Spanish and French major at Stephen F. Austin State University, experiments with a da Vinci surgical robot on display in the Baker Pattillo Student Center Thursday morning on the SFA campus. The robot provides technology to surgeons allowing for greater autonomy and precision during minimally invasive procedures. A representative from Intuitive Surgical was on hand to help demonstrate the robot and highlight to observers how this latest technology benefits the SFA and Nacogdoches communities.

Display cases lining the halls of the Education Annex Building on the Stephen F. Austin State University campus have been transformed into product displays with patterned fabrics, unique lighting and various products offered at local businesses.

The product display cases were created by SFA students enrolled in a visual merchandising course that allowed them to use the skills they’ve learned in the classroom to gain real-world experience.

“This project has provided a wonderful experience for students and a great showcase of merchandise for visitors to the building,” said Leisha Bridwell, associate professor of interior design and interior merchandising at SFA.

Featured retailers include Macy May, Nacogdoches Eye Associates, House of Traditions, Rees Jewelry and Miller’s Point.

Each display showcases one retailer’s product line. For example, handmade feather bow ties are featured in one case, and in another, students highlighted Silver Elegance jewelry.

The project required students to meet with the merchants, create a sign for the case and then craft a sophisticated display.

Clarissa Hughes, an interior merchandising major from Tyler, said she is interested in creating retailer displays in the future. Her group designed a case for House of Traditions by incorporating items from the Mud Pie and Beatriz Ball lines.

“Our display items are entertaining pieces for people who like to host parties. We wanted the display to showcase the items in a way that would make a buyer want to put them in their homes,” Hughes said.

Fashion merchandising students Mackenna Joseph from Austin and Erica Reynolds from Corrigan built a display for the Spode Woodland line available for purchase at House of Traditions.

“I enjoyed planning the display,” Joseph said. “It was fun to gain the hands-on experience and figure out where to place the elements.”

Stephen F. Austin State University alumnus Bob Slovak, sports anchor and reporter for KTRK-TV in Houston, will serve as interviewer for the inaugural Nelson Rusche Distinguished Lecture Series featuring former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush as the guest speaker at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 3, in the Baker Pattillo Student Center Grand Ballroom.

Slovak also will serve as moderator for the SFA Leadership Summit, an event scheduled in conjunction with the lecture series, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. in the BPSC Theater. The summit will feature a panel of seven SFA Rusche College of Business alumni discussing leadership principles and business and corporate issues.

Summit panelists include Greg Arnold, chairman and CEO for the Truman Arnold Companies; Chris Bagley, president and chief operating officer for BancorpSouth; Terry Bonno, senior vice president of marketing for Transocean; Michael Calbert, chairman of the board for Dollar General Corporation; Stacie Shirley, executive vice president, chief financial officer and treasurer of Tuesday Morning Corporation; Steve Stagner, executive chairman and chairman of the board for Mattress Firm; and Michael Taff, executive vice president and CFO for Chicago Bridge & Iron Company.

A Dallas native, Slovak graduated from SFA in 1986 with a Bachelor of Arts in communication. He began his broadcast career in Ada, Oklahoma, at KTEN-TV. He also worked in Arizona and Oklahoma before joining ABC 13 Eyewitness News in Houston as a sports anchor and reporter in 1998. Slovak has been honored with Associated Press, Emmy and Edward R. Murrow Awards during his career.

Future college students will have the opportunity to experience a taste of campus life during a free, action-packed open-house Saturday, Nov. 12, at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches.

Prospective students will have the opportunity to visit with university faculty and staff members, tour the campus and residence halls, and preview academic programs during the SFA Showcase Saturday event.

“There is no better time than Showcase Saturday to visit the beautiful SFA campus and witness firsthand what it’s like to be a Lumberjack,” said Jessica Maynard, assistant director of SFA’s Office of Admissions.

“Guests are encouraged to visit one-on-one with our faculty members to learn more about our quality, personalized academic programs, and our staff members will be available to answer questions about everything from admission requirements to financial aid to residence life,” Maynard added.

SFA is a comprehensive, residential university located in the heart of Texas Forest Country. Approximately 13,000 students attend SFA, which is within a few hours’ drive of Texas’ major metropolitan areas.

Showcase Saturday event registration will begin at 11:45 a.m. on the first floor of the Baker Pattillo Student Center and will remain open until 12:45 p.m. Each person who registers will receive an information packet. The opening program begins at 12:45 p.m. and will provide an overview of the day’s events.

Guests will then be able to visit with representatives of the academic departments until 4 p.m. at the Academic Fair in the Student Recreation Center. A Student Services Fair will be held from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. on the first floor of the Baker Pattillo Student Center.

Campus and residence hall tours will begin at 1:30 p.m. and continue until 5 p.m. Campus tours will take students on a guided walk of the SFA campus, while the self-guided residence hall tours will showcase several halls on both the north and south ends of campus.

Admissions counselors will be available to discuss admission procedures and requirements from 1:30 to 5 p.m. in the Rusk Building, Room 206, and at several freshman and transfer admissions sessions held throughout the day.

Financial aid information sessions will be held at 2:30, 3:15 and 4 p.m. in the Baker Pattillo Student Center’s Twilight Ballroom. Residence Life information sessions will be held at 2:30, 3:15 and 4 p.m. in the Baker Pattillo Student Center’s movie theater on the second floor.

Participating prospective students will receive a free SFA T-shirt after completing an evaluation form in the tent located in the courtyard area of the Rusk Building.

For more information about SFA’s Showcase Saturday, contact the SFA Office of Admissions at (936) 468-2504 or email admissions@sfasu.edu.